作曲 : Sergei Prokofiev
——INTRODUCTION——
I'm going to tell you the story of Peter and the Wolf.
In the tale you're about to hear,each character is represented by different instruments of the orchestra.
The Bird by the Flute.
The Duck by the Oboe.
The Cat by the Clarinet.
The Grandfather by the Bassoon.
The Wolf by the Horns.
The Gunshots by the Timpani and the Bass Drum.
Peter by the Strings in the orchestra.
——THE STORY BEGINS——
Early one morning,Peter opened the gate and went out to the big green meadow.
On a branch of a big tree sat a little bird,Peter's friend."All is quiet,all is quiet."The little bird chirped gaily.
Just then,a duck came wandering around.She was glad that Peter had not closed the gate,and decided to take a nice swim in the deep pond in the middle.
Seeing the duck,the little bird flew out on the grass,settled next to her,and shrugged his shoulders.
"What kind of bird are you if you can't fly?"said he.Do this duck replied,"What kind of bird are you if you can't swim?"and dived into the pond.
They argued and argued,the duck swimming in the pond,the little bird popping along the shore.
Suddenly,something caught Peter's attention.He noticed a cat,crawling through the grass.
The cat thought,"The bird is busy arguing,I'll just grab him."Stealthily,she crept towards him,on her velvet paws.
"Look out!"shouted Peter,and the bird immediately flew up into the tree.
The duck quacked angrily at the cat from the middle of the pond.
The cat walked around the tree,and thought,"Is it worth climbing up so high?At the time I get to the bird,would her fly away?"
Grandfather came out.He was angry because Peter got to the middle."It's a dangerous place.If wolf should come out of the forest,then what would you do?"
Peter paid no attention to his grandfather's words.Boys like him are not afraid of wolves.
But grandfather took Peter by the hand,locked the gate,and led him home.
No sooner had Peter gone than a big grey wolf came out of the forest.
In a twinkling,the cat climbed up the tree.
The duck quacked,and in her excitement,jumped out of the pond.
But no matter how hard the duck tried to run,she couldn't escaped the wolf.He was getting nearer...nearer...catching up with her!
And then he got her,and with one gulp,swallowed her.
So now this is how things stood.The cat was sitting on one branch.
The bird on another...
not too close to the cat.
And the wolf walked round and round the tree,looking at them with greedy eyes.
In the meantime,Peter,without the slightest fear,stood behind the closed gate,watching all that was going on.
One of the branches of the tree round which the wolf was walking stretched out over the wall.
Grabbing hold of the branch...
Peter lightly climbed over onto the tree.
Peter said to the bird,"Fly down,and circle around the wolf's head,only take care that he doesn't catch you.
The bird almost touched the wolf's head with his wings,while the wolf snapped angrily at him from this side and that.
How the bird did worry the wolf,how he wanted to catch him.But the bird was cleverer,and the wolf simply couldn't do anything about it.
Meanwhile,Peter made a lasoon,and carefully let it down.
He caught the wolf by the tail,and pulled at all his might.
Feeling himself caught,the wolf began to jump wildly,trying to get loose.
But Peter tied the other end of the rope to the tree.
And the wolf's jumping only made the rope round his tail tighter.
Just then...the hunters came out of the woods...
Following the wolf's trail and shooting as they went.
But Peter,sitting in the tree,said,"Don't shoot!The bird and I have caught the wolf!Now help us take him to the zoo."
So now...imagine the triumphant procession:
Peter at the head.
After him,the hunters leading the wolf.
Winding up the procession came grandfather and the cat.Grandfather tossed his head discontentedly."Well,"he said,"and if Peter hadn't caught the wolf,what then?"
Above them flew the bird,chirping merrily,"Ha ha,my,what brave fellows we are Peter and I!Look what we've caught!"
And if you would listen very carefully,you can hear the duck quacking inside the wolf,because the wolf,in his hurry,had swallowed her alive.